1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the dispensing of sheet material and boxed flexible bags and more particularly, to a sheet material dispenser which is characterized by a housing having oppositely-disposed side flanges for engaging spaced brackets located on the underside of a cabinet to support the housing in slidably removable relationship. The housing contains multiple rolls of wrapping material as well as paper towels and boxed flexible plastic bags, for selective dispensing from the open bottom of the housing. The rolls of wrapping material and paper towels are rotatably secured inside the housing on spindles attached to spindle plates which are slidably disposed in opposing spindle flanges attached to the opposite sides of the interior of the housing. The top of the housing is open to facilitate replacement of the respective rolls of wrapping material, paper towels, and boxed plastic bags by removing the spindle plates and associated spindles from the spindle flanges. The material is dispensed from the bottom of the housing by grasping the leading edge of the selected rolled material, extending a desired length of the material from the housing and contacting the material with one of several serrated blade edges spanning the housing, to obtain a sheet of material of selected length. The housing is slidably removed from the supporting brackets in order to replenish the supply of rolled wrapping material, paper towels and boxed flexible bags.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of wrapping material rolled on cylindrically-shaped cores of cardboard or plastic has long been known in the art. Such materials as paper towels, plastic wrap known as "Saran" wrap and the like, as well as waxed paper, aluminum foil and other products which are useful for wrapping food and covering containers, is widely used in the modern home. Other quick dispensing techniques, including the packaging of flexible plastic bags in boxes such that the removal of an outside bag provides easy access to the next bag and so on, are also much in demand. These plastic bag products are manufactured and sold under such trademarks as "Baggies", "Zip-Lock" bags, and the like and are frequently used to store food products for both refrigeration and freezing purposes. The various paper towels, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, waxed paper and like products are usually rolled on separate tubular cylinders and are rotatably dispensed by open bracket dispensers or directly from the container boxes. Storage of these products usually requires multiple locations which may or may not be conveniently located with respect to each other. The plastic storage bags are typically kept in the pantry or in another easily accessible place where they are periodically removed for use.
Devices for dispensing paper towels and other rolled wrapping material are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,550,209, dated Apr. 24, 1951, to E. S. Tuttle, discloses a "Paper Dispenser" which is characterized by a housing having two slots in the front thereof and means therein for rotatably receiving a roll of paper towels and wrapping material such as plastic, aluminum foil or the like, wherein the leading edges of the paper towels and wrapping material project through the slots, respectively, for dispensing desired lengths of the paper towel and wrapping material. Another "Paper Dispenser" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,722,387, dated Nov. 1, 1955, also to E. S. Tuttle. This patent details a container which is provided with parallel slots in a front surface thereof and further includes hinged doors which open to receive and locate the paper towel and wrapping material rolls to provide easy access for replenishing the products. U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,825, dated Dec. 13, 1955, to M. S. Ziskin, et al, discloses a "Paper Towel and Wax Paper Dispenser" which includes a shaped housing having a single receiving slot in the front thereof and containing two rolls of wrapping material. The housing is further characterized by an interior which is designed to channel the leading edges of the rolls of material through the common slot for dispensing in selected lengths. A "Sheet Material Dispenser" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,392, dated Nov. 10, 1964, to H. R. Johannes. The Johannes dispenser includes a housing designed to receive three rolls of wrapping material or paper towels, which are separately mounted in rotatable relationship for dispensing through three separate slots located in the front of the housing, by means of rollers provided in cooperation with the respective wrapping material or paper towel rolls, for dispensing purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,519, dated Sept. 7, 1971, to Jerry A. Brown, et al discloses a dispenser for holding and dispensing material from several rolls of paper or plastic products, the dispenser including a door hinged to the front thereof and provided with slots through which the paper is dispensed. A pair of vertically spaced trays are connected to the sides of the container and are designed to swing between an operative position for supporting a pair of rolls and an outwardly angled position for loading fresh paper rolls thereon. "Inserts For Use With Web Dispensing Means" are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,500, dated Feb. 8, 1983, to Alfred Saraisky. These inserts are designed for insertion in the open ends of cylindrically-shaped cores which receive wrapping material, paper towels and like rolled material, for supporting the cylindrical cores in dispensing mechanisms. The hat-like inserts have a slightly tapered, generally cylindrically-shaped side wall terminating at the narrow diameter end in an integral closed end surface.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved sheet material dispenser which is designed to slidably mount on the underside of a cabinet and to contain multiple rolls of wrapping material and paper towels, as well as a box of flexible plastic bags for easy dispensing of the wrapping material, paper towels and plastic bags in selected lengths and quantities, respectively.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sheet material dispenser which is characterized by a housing having an open top and bottom, with side flanges for slidable insertion in cooperation with support flanges mounted on the bottom of a cabinet to dispense multiple rolls of wrapping material and paper towels, as well as boxed flexible plastic bags.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a sheet material dispenser which is designed for dispensing multiple rolls of wrapping material, paper towels and boxed plastic bags from the bottom, while loading replacement rolls and boxes of the plastic bags from the top.
A still further object of the this invention is to provide a new and improved sheet material dispensing device which is characterized by a housing having an open top and bottom and fitted with multiple spindle flanges located in oppose relationship on the housing interior sides. The spindle flanges are designed to slidably receive spindle plates fitted with spindles for supporting multiple rolls of wrapping material and paper towels for dispensing the wrapping material and paper towels from the bottom, and loading the wrapping material and paper towels from the top, of the housing.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sheet material dispenser which is characterized by a housing fitted with a pair of spaced side rails for mounting on spaced brackets located on the bottom of a cabinet. The housing is slidably located on the brackets and is open at the top and bottom for dispensing wrapping material, paper towels and plastic bags from the bottom of the housing and replenishing the supply of paper towels, wrapping material, and plastic bags from the top of the housing when the housing is removed from the spaced brackets.